Hunting for the best type of shower screen for your bathroom?

Here we compare 4 of the most common types of shower screen for your home.

When deciding on what type of shower screen to go with when doing your bathroom renovation, it is important to look at various options and then select the correct shower screen that will best suit your family’s needs and requirements.

In this blog, we chat to Nick Zakharov from iRenovate NSW, a bathroom renovation expert. We compare some of the most common types of shower screens used in a bathroom renovations throughout Sydney and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.

FULLY FRAMED

Fully framed shower screen; Source: iRenovateNSW

These are the screens that are most prevalent in older homes and the type most people will be familiar with.

Usually these screens will have several glass panels that slide on the top track and stack on one side to allow entrance into the shower area. Not quite as sleek and modern as some of the other screens available.

How well do they prevent water from escaping the shower area?Fully framed screens do an excellent job of preventing water egress.

How easy are they to clean?Can be quite difficult to clean as there are a lot of nooks and crannies for soap scum and grime to hide on the panels and the frame.

What is the price point?For those looking for a bathroom renovation on a budget this can be a good alternative as they are relatively cheap.

SEMI FRAMELESS

Semi Frameless Shower Screen; Source: iRenovate NSW

The semi frameless is a modern take on the fully framed shower screen.

They come with a thin and slick frame around the perimeter of the shower area and usually a pivoting door which can open in both directions, they are a popular choice for bathroom renovations.

How well do they prevent water from escaping the shower area?Semi frameless shower screens perform almost as well in retaining water in the shower area as the fully framed screens, However due to the reduction in size and scope of the frame there are minor gaps where water can escape including:

Minor gaps between the glass door panel and the fixed panels that are required clearances for the door to operate.

Minor drips on the door panel pivot hinge due to inability to install a rubber strip in this section.

If door panel is opened outwards after shower water run-off from the glass panel can land outside the shower area.

How easy are they to clean?Semi-frameless screens are fairly easy to clean as there are very few spots for soap scum and grime to hide.

What is the price point?This is a mid range screen and is priced accordingly.

FRAMELESS SHOWER SCREENS

Frameless Shower Screen; Source: iRenovate NSW

These screens are the most streamlined of the 3 main shower screen options. The frames are completely removed and the glass is thicker to accommodate this.

They are generally installed with a pivoting door similar to the semi-frameless screens which can open in both directions.

How well do they prevent water from escaping the shower area?Of the enclosed shower screens the frameless shower screen is the least effective at retaining water in the shower area.This is due to the following:

There is nothing to seal the door panel to the fixed panels or the floor tiles.

Larger gaps around the door panel. This is due to the fact there is no frame to hold the panels inline with each other and bulkier brackets to hold the heavier door panel, resulting in a larger clearance required to stop the glass panels from hitting each other.

How easy are they to clean?These are the easiest of the 3 enclosed shower screen options to clean as besides the bracket locations there are no other areas for the soap scum and grime to hide.

What is the price point?Frameless screens are the most expensive of the enclosed shower screen options.

SINGLE PANEL SHOWER SCREENS (WALK IN/ROMAN SHOWER)

Single Panel Shower Screen; Source: iRenovate NSW

Single panel screens can be very luxurious but are generally suited to larger bathrooms.

How well do they prevent water from escaping the shower area?

In short the larger the single panel the more splash it will stop, this however does not stop the water on the floor at the entrance of the shower.

This is why this style of shower is more suited to a larger bathroom where there is enough space to design the shower area to mitigate water run-off.

How easy are they to clean?Fairly simple to clean as there is only a single pane of glass.

What is the price point?These generally fall into the mid range price point.

EXPERT TIPS

To ensure the shower screen is perfectly fitted and sealed to the space, Nick & his team recommend that each shower screen is custom made to each bathroom. They do not install “off the shelf” screens.